San Polo:
Osteria Enoteca Vivaldi

A friendly and welcoming nonsmoking spot with a neighborhood feel to it. Outstanding cichetti and pasta, and usually exceptionally good bread and rolls.

Directions: From Campo San Polo walk towards the Rialto; the restaurant is on your right just after the bridge.
Vaporetto stop: San Toma

We have eaten at Vivaldi's several times on each of our last 3 or 4 trips to Venice - ever since it became a nonsmoking restaurant. The owners are friendly with terrific memories for previous visitors.

The place looks simple and casual, but there are fascinating pieces of Vivaldi memorabilia on the walls.

The prices are higher than you might expect in an osteria. The pappardelle Vivaldi is an outstandng pasta dish and the cichetti are fantastic. You can order several of the vegetable cichetti as a vegetarian first course and receive a plate that looks as wonderful as it tastes.

Reviewed by: Sheila from MD, review #323

When: 2000

Another disappointment - this used to be a favorite, but the ownership has changed.

Directions: Located a little past Campo San Polo, on the right, as you walk towards the Rialto.

Another disappointment – of a different type than San Trovaso and La Zucca. This San Polo bacaro, owned by the charming Guido and Luca, was a favorite on our previous trip. We were eagerly looking forward to our return visit. After getting lost, we succeeding in making our way there, hungry, our mouths watering.

But, woe to us -- Guido and Luca were nowhere to be seen and had been replaced by a sour-faced woman who was probably tired of people asking about Guido and Luca. Apparently the place had been sold. If anyone knows if they have opened a new place, please let me know.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.